Opera Scotland

William Elvin Suggest updates

Born Turriff 1945.

Scottish baritone.

William Elvin trained in London at the Royal Academy of Music, winning the Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Scholarship in 1967.

He joined Scottish Opera, and sang several solo roles with the company, including Yamadori and Ned Keene.  Most notably, he created the leading role of Davie in Robin Orr's Full Circle.  He also toured with Opera for All, singing Germont in La traviata.  He joined Glyndebourne in 1969, appearing as Papageno with the touring company.  A further period with Scottish Opera saw him take the title role of Don Giovanni.

He spent several years in the 1970s based at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, singing a wide range of principal roles.   These include Verdi (Marullo Rigoletto,  Christian Un ballo in maschera);  Gounod (Wagner Faust);   Puccini (Schaunard La bohème,  Yamadori Madama Butterfly,  Happy La fanciulla del West);   Strauss (One-eyed Brother Die Frau ohne Schatten)  and Britten (Novice's Friend Billy Budd).